Faithfully - Day 8

Big huggy teddy. Want in my bed.

Faithfully - Day 7

Intense.

Negative, Captain

Nearly six years ago my local council set up area assemblies, and I went along to the first one for my area. Because parking in my street and the neighbouring ones was in critical condition, I hoped to get that included in the five priorities we had to set at that first meeting, but unfortunately it came 6th. But I stuck with it, and joined the co-ordinating committee and got to know the councillors for the area (we call these divisions "wards"), some newly-elected and hard-working Greens. Since then I have attended at least four co-ordinators' meetings and four assemblies a year, each lasting up to 3 hours, and I've also gone to several other meetings at the Town Hall about matters of local interest. Meanwhile, two years ago, our Greens were ousted in a new election, and I found the changeover to a new party difficult. They are nowhere near as hard-working as the Greens, but we rub along successfully together, and I have stuck with it. Here's part of the current co-ordinating committee:

Last night, at the latest meeting, parking was not on the agenda. Those of us who desperately needed it and fought hard achieved it 18 months ago. Sadly, the streets who put the kybosh on our first attempt several years before, and condemned us to the misery of regularly having to park several streets away from our homes, have found that the people who plagued us by parking near the two railway stations, bus and light railway stations, and shops, now plague them, as they are just a few streets further away. They had thought we should continue to suffer so that they didn't have to, so really, tough luck maties. But they got an emergency debate last year, and won a review which was took place 6-8 months ago. But some of the streets didn't get their ducks in a row, and lost out in the review. So last night they crashed our meeting - which did not have parking on the agenda - and screamed about democracy (ie. their right to do nothing except when it affects their comfort, and then insist that everyone act for them no matter what other subject was up for discussion). I was on the receiving end of a rude comment about "me and my cronies", which referred to the fact that the councillor in the chair called me by name. Well, if they'd attended so many meetings over such a long period, perhaps he would know their names too. But they wanted only to follow their own agenda, not our actual democratically chosen one, and acted in such a way that they lost everyone else's sympathy for their cause. They spat out their dummies and stormed out, continuing to have a long, loud argument in the foyer. Empathy for their position led me to go and offer some advice. I told them how, when the consultation forms were delivered, I put a leaflet through every door in the street to remind people to vote. "We did that, but someone else not even from the area put out leaflets that told lies and we lost the vote." "Anyway, we don't all have time to come to these assemblies and join the co-ordinating groups, like you, if you're retired"...Red mist. Fucking rude bastards. Grey hair means you are retired and have time on your hands. I left them to their doom. I told the councillor about their comments, and given what he'd already heard, he was minded to recommend to the Mayor that they get no special consideration. Democracy isn't just about turning out when you have an interest to defend (or push forward) and if you don't take part when the chance presents itself, don't expect everyone else suddenly to jump up and help you. And if your only recourse is to abuse, expect a bloodied nose, perhaps metaphorically, perhaps in reality. Oh, how I would love to bloody a nose or two among that group.

Faithfully - Day 6

Bemused. Please come and bemuse me. Or better still amuse me. Or amuse me and come...

Faithfully - Day 5

Bobby puts his big hand somewhere warm. I can offer him some alternative places...

Faithfully - Day 4

Oh boy, someone's trying to lie to Bobby. Bad move.

Faithfully - Day 3

Good old Bobby, propping up the wall again. Half of New York would fall down without him.

Countdown to Canada

Those of you who have been with me from the start will remember the family reunion trip I took to Athabasca in Alberta, Canada, in 2005. There was to have been a return match three years later, but it never happened. Now my cousin Linda has emailed to say she is planning a reunion for next summer, would I be interested? Well, the cat-sitting's already arranged, and though I don't think it's possible to book a flight this far ahead, as soon as I can I'll have my ticket paid for. This is a view of Linda's house from the lake on which it stands:



This is the end view of the house:


Cousin Lorna in the teeny tiny kitchen:

Faithfully - Day 2

Back on the job, scruffy, still sad, but brilliant and sexy.

What teachers do on training days

Well, quite a lot, actually. Yesterday we assembled near the top of Sydenham Hill at a golf club and all showed the Powerpoints we'd made about our own little areas of expertise.

But if you are a good leader, there is always some kind of team building exercise. We learned a 3-part harmony. Later we played a word definition game.

After a reasonable lunch, we had an art lesson. It was supposed to be outdoors, but though the rain we experience daily had stopped, the ground was too wet to venture out. So we painted the extensive view from the windows.
There were some might fine artists. My own effort was less impressive, but I quite like it:

The big pointy thing on the left, enveloped on the haze, is The Shard, Europe's tallest building, that was only officially opened the day before.

Faithfully - Day 1

Ah yes, the impossible niece and the non-existent family that appeared for one night only in what should have been the first episode of the season, but made no sense as episode 3.

Identity Crisis - Day 10

Is he wondering if he could have done more to save his brother, or considering his own childhood with his schizophrenic mother?

Identity Crisis - Day 9

Wonder what you're thinking, darling?

Identity Crisis - Day 8

Happy 4th July, Bright Eyes.

Identity Crisis - Day 7

Full body action shot.

Identity Crisis - Day 6

Thoughtful. And the perfect scruff.

The woman to thank - or blame!

I've always known that I was delivered by a midwife called Nurse Walkerdine. I remember my mother taking about her, and seeing the article about her death in the local paper.

But until today I've never come across any mention of her in a search engine. It led me to a film clip that cannot be downloaded, but which you can watch here:

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/deptford-4-000-babies/query/Colin

The narrator pronounces her name as Miss Walkerdeen but I think my mother, who after all actually met her, would have been correct in calling her Walkerdyne. There is a Valerie Walkerdine who comes up in Google as a nursing professional. I like to think that may be her granddaughter, and that she may have been named after me...

Identity Crisis - Day 5

He looks almost coy when he looks up like that.
 

I'm Back!

OK, I know you didn't know I'd been away, and indeed I haven't, but it felt like I was in Outer Mongolia. My old computers were so slow!

But now my newest one is back, better than ever. I still have a myriad programmes to download, but the most important (McAfee, Blogger, Yahoo, MSN) are here and ready to use. What is even better is, all my data was successfully rescued.

What a great way to celebrate Vincent's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Handsome

Dearest Vincent

 We all hope you have an absolutely wonderful day.
 

Love and Kisses from Val and the Vixens